Thailand: Betagro Group in provincial drive

Betagro Group will invest Baht 1 billion in six upcountry sites, mainly in the south, focused on business expansion, extending the number of slaughterhouses, processing plants, feed mills, distribution centres and shops.

The expansions, to be carried out from 2010 to 2012, will help drive sales of the regional business to 38 billion baht by the end of 2012, up from an estimated 29.3 billion baht this year, says Vasit Taepaisitphongse, Betagro chief operating officer.

Vasit added that it is also expanding its business into neighbouring countries, including Laos and Cambodia, for livestock and feed mills, with construction of a pig farm in Cambodia "40% complete" and a feed mill in Laos with a monthly capacity of 6,000 tonnes.